Wow, what a complete change of tone and pace for the show! There was not a single ounce of procedural-ness, and there were only a few scenes of comedic relief to be found. Despite this, the episode was very well-written, superbly acted, and it brought about many causes for concern and questions to be answered down the line. That, my friends, is what great television should be. Now, let's get reviewing!
Previously on Limitless...Eddie Morra wants Brian to help him change the world. Sands reminds him that his a** belongs to him now. And Boyle took that NZT pill and argued with Brian. Lots of great fun. This episode consisted mostly of long scenes with lots of quippy dialogue. This may not have worked for everyone. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure that having episodes like this all the time is the best strategy for the show. Once in a while, yes. It'll feel like a breath of fresh air after having more case-driven episodes. I love how, while Morra's giving his speech, he's internalizing how someone's trying to shoot him; figuring out the math in his head as he's speaking! That takes a lot of skill! Georgina Haig made a great guest appearance in this episode, and I could see her recurring down the line. Piper starting off rocking a black wig and then took it off while she was trying to snipe Morra. She then takes an NZT pill of her own. You know the episode's going to be intense right there. She then flees. Meanwhile, Brian's taking his NZT, and it was great to see Ike back in the office! Brian goes to the conference room, and look who it is. Mr. Sands. Brian does some internalizing of his own. Did Sands just come out and say that they're giving Brian the shot to make him immune to NZT's side effects? Did Rebecca figure out that they have a clandestine relationship with Brian? Not that either. It was just a typical meeting. Naz defends Rebecca from the actions in last episode, and tells her that she has also slept with people in the workplace. Great scene, and I wonder if anyone else has taken her advice? After a chilling scene in an elevator with Brian and Sands, (and James, the Tech guy), the original opening theme plays us out.
Brian gets caught up to speed with Boyle in a car, and Boyle seems to be really ticked off with Brian from last episode. This doesn't change throughout the entire episode, and even Rebecca comments on his attitude towards Brian. This should only intensify, I think, what, with Boyle having a pill of his own to possibly use. Brian has to find Sammy Depietro in order to find where Piper's hiding. Using morse code on her sniper laser was very creative. Brian has a sweet scene with a record shop owner in order to get the information he needs. He found Piper's lair, and oh no, she has pictures of his parents on screen! Brian races home and I swear I lost my breath right then and there. That was so scary. Turns out she's at his parents' house, and she told them she was his girlfriend. That's a great introduction to the family. They then have a long dialogue-filled scene as well, where Piper makes us feel for her. It was revealed that she was a scientist who helped find the enzyme that stops the NZT side effects. Very interesting. Back to Brian's place, he asks for a meeting with Morra. Where does this meeting take place? You guessed it, a car. Morra's trying to tell Brian that Piper killed her boyfriend and not him. Who should Brian trust? Well, Sands orders Brian to kill Piper. Brian gets visited by his usual helpful clones, as well as some other, familiar faces. This was my favourite scene of the episode. Rebecca showed up to be on 'good Brian's side'. Sands was on bada** Brian's side. And then Ike showed up saying how Brian's sweater makes him itchy and leather sticks to his skin. Poor Ike. And then we had Dennis show up, Brian's voice of reason. He told him to pick a side, and then the thinking process would really start. He asks to meet up with Sands, to what looks like kill Piper and side with Morra.
However, in the most shocking moment of the episode, he doesn't actually side with Morra. He sides with Piper. Him and Piper planned the whole thing out. Piper didn't actually die by falling onto the train tracks. He even had a few drinks with Sands after the 'murder' and made himself look dishevelled and distraught. This was perhaps the most troubling scene to watch. Remember when Rebecca said Brian was once so innocent, like the world hadn't touched him yet? Remember when Morra said that Brian's trying to be the person he was before NZT? Remember when Brian said if he had to be ruthless to survive, that was not the way things were going to happen? Faking a murder, lying about it to some very dangerous people, putting on this facade that you're so traumatized over this...well, that makes you no better than Sands or Morra at this point. He has joined them, whether he thinks he has or not. He still takes his NZT, and it looked very easy for him to completely manipulate Sands like that, almost like it came naturally to him. This worries me. And what's worse, now Rebecca is on Morra's trail. She's studying him when he was in the movie Limitless, and when he started the show being a Senator. This is frightening stuff. Rebecca still can see Brian as an innocent puppy, overly enthusiastic about even the smallest things. And what about his parents? Dennis knows about the drug, sure, but there are some very dark things Brian is involved with that they have no idea about. This episode gives the show a fantastic opportunity to answer so many thought-provoking questions, and I'm almost positive it will. It showed us other, cool uses for NZT, what happens when Brian becomes a puppet master, and Rebecca staring at her wall of information. Morra really wants Brian to forget about his care for others. Well, whatever happens next, at least we know Brian isn't as daft as people think.
What did YOU think of The Assassination of Eddie Morra? Did it live up to the hype that this hiatus created? Are you questioning everything you thought you knew about Brian, Morra, and Sands? Whatever you thought, please be sure to leave a comment down below!
